Ryan Reynolds to star in Pokémon live-action film

Deadpool actor Ryan Reynolds has reportedly been signed to star in the upcoming Pokémon feature film based on the game franchise, alongside actors Justice Smith and Kathryn Newton.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, the movie is to be helmed by Goosebumps director Rob Letterman and commence shooting in London in January.

Pokémon first launched as a video game, after which it quickly transformed into a card-collecting, pop-culture phenomenon. Players act as trainers for creatures called Pokémon, which compete with one another in battle tournaments.

Pikachu is without a doubt the most popular Pokémon species. Detective Pikachu, who was previously introduced in the video game, is the titular investigator from the Pikachu species.

The movie, Detective Pikachu, sees Reynolds playing the eponymous character, on a quest to search for the missing father of Smith’s character, with the assistance of a journalist, played by Newton. According to sources, their performances will be “motion-capture in nature.”

The franchise has sold 300 million video games worldwide, shipped 23.6 billion trading cards to 74 countries and has produced an animated series spanning 20 seasons, so it is not surprising that the company has high hopes for the film.

The latest draft of the script was written by Alex Hirsch and Nicole Perlman, while Universal is responsible for the distribution of the live-action movie outside Japan.

In other news, Reynolds’ Deadpool sequel is set to hit theaters on June 1, 2018. (afr/kes)